After a while…
Sitting cross-legged, Jack let out a deep sigh, his mind replaying the events of the past few hours. It all started with a misunderstanding. The people here thought he was a cultivator. The reason? The strange purple lightning that crackled around his body whenever he felt threatened. In this world, only cultivators could manipulate natural elements, and it seemed this lightning responded to his fear—a fact proven in yesterday's skirmish and today's close call.
But Jack knew the truth: he wasn't a cultivator. At least, not by choice. Piecing together the memories of Yun Li, the body's previous owner, had made that abundantly clear.
Yun Li. Jack mulled over the name. That was who he had become after transmigration. Yun Li, once a first-rate martial artist, had reached the age of 100 a near expired old man. Yet when Jack gazed into the bowl of water before him, the reflection told a different story: a man in his prime, radiating vitality and strength.
It all began to make sense. His transmigration had triggered Yun Li's ascension into the Rebirth Realm, a stage of martial arts where one regained lost vitality and youthful vigor. The inhuman speed, feather-light movements, and immense physical strength Jack felt all were byproducts of this transformation.
Delving deeper into Yun Li's memories, Jack unraveled the man's history. Yun Li had been the patriarch of the Li family in Zen City, a powerful martial arts clan. His life had ended violently at the hands of a red-eyed youth named Chen Ruin. The reason? Revenge. Yun Li's great-grandson had tormented Chen Ruin mercilessly, driven by arrogance and unchecked power. Yun Li had known of his descendant's cruelty but had chosen silence.
Jack frowned. That silence made him complicit.
Jack shook his head. The name Yun Li no longer carried any meaning for him. He wasn't the head of a martial family , nor was he bound by the grudges of this world.He was Jack—a salaryman from Earth. Why should he inherit this man's grudges or play a part in this cross-world vendetta?
Still, the knowledge Yun Li left behind was invaluable.He delved further into Yun Li's memories, uncovering more details about the place he now inhabited. The land was called the Turtle Shell Continent, aptly named because the continent's shape resembled a giant colossal turtle shell. Legends claimed the land had formed from an ancient turtle's heavenly remains. Jack shook his head at the absurdity of the tale, dismissing it as folklore
What interested him most were Yun Li's memories of martial arts.A martial artist is a person who employs inner energy, or more precisely, vital energy. The martial arts hierarchy was divided into four grades:
Martial Arts Hierarchy:
[Grade 3 (Third-Rate Martial Artist): The foundation level for most practitioners.
Grade 2 (Second-Rate Martial Artist): Mastery beyond the basics.
Grade 1 (First-Rate Martial Artist): Elite warriors, rare and highly skilled.
Grade 0 (Rebirth Realm): The pinnacle of martial arts, where one's body undergoes spiritual and physical rebirth.]
There aren't significant differences in inner energy levels among Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 martial artists. Inner energy remains relatively constant, although it can decrease due to factors such as injuries or age, as in the case of Yun Li. What sets martial artists of different grades apart are their experience, martial skills, physical condition, techniques, and, most importantly, their ability to achieve effective energy circulation.
In short, while inner energy may serve as a constant foundation, the true might of a martial artist is determined by their mastery over energy circulation and the development of their physical and spiritual capabilities.
Unlike the earlier grades, the Rebirth Realm unlocked immense power. Physical bodies transformed, meridians widened , strengthened dantian that can store and refine vastly greater amounts of inner energy and spiritual roots formed marking the threshold for Immortal Cultivation. Cultivators, unlike martial artists, were born with spiritual roots. For most, the only paths to forming them were:
[ 'Achieving Rebirth through mastery of martial arts—a near-impossible feat.']
[ 'Joining a sect and obtaining body refinement techniques. These were accessible only through tournaments held every ten years.']
Yun Li had pursued the second path but failed thrice and could not attemp a fourth time due to his age disqualifying him from further attempts.
Now, Jack found himself in an unparalleled position, his transmigration granting him access to the Rebirth Realm. But power alone wasn't enough. Without mastering martial techniques, Jack was no stronger than a Third-Rate Martial Artist in combat. And compared to Immortal Cultivators, even a fully realized Rebirth Realm master was insignificant.
Still, this was his opportunity. His power. He wouldn't waste it. As Jack clenched his fists. The power that had once been foreign and unfamiliar was beginning to feel like an extension of himself. He resolved that, in time, it would no longer be Yun Li's legacy but his own.
The creak of a door interrupted his thoughts. Jack's gaze snapped to the barely open door. A small figure peeked through, meeting his eyes before retreating hastily. The sound of running footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Curious, Jack stood and followed the sound, arriving in a cozy living room. A couple stood protectively in front of a small child. The man, Lin Ao, was tall and muscular, exuding a powerful presence. The woman, Shen Lin, had kind but wary eyes, her hands nervously fidgeting. Behind them, the child peeked out cautiously—the same one who had spied on Jack moments earlier.
"Ah, you're awake," Lin Ao said, his tone guarded. "We were worried you wouldn't recover."
Jack frowned slightly, sensing the tension in their voices. "Where am I?" he asked, scanning the room.
Shen Lin spoke softly, "You're in our home. We found you unconscious in the forest… surrounded by purple lightning."
The couple exchanged uneasy glances.
"Thank you," Jack said evenly. "I owe you my life."
For now, he would tread carefully.He clenched his fists. The strength Yun Li had sought his whole life was now his. Jack resolved to master it—not as Yun Li's heir, but as a survivor determined to leave his mark on the Turtle Shell Continent.